revian Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Hello all, I was thinking today about how I could finish my guitar, and I had an idea to wrap aluminium around a guitar. I would like to do this, but I have a few questions: -Has this been done? If so, then how? -Should I glue or should I rivet it down? -Will doing this cause a loss of money? -Will it change the intonation? Lastley-How can I cut out the exact holes for pickups and knobs? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenhoneywell Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Hello all, I was thinking today about how I could finish my guitar, and I had an idea to wrap aluminium around a guitar. I would like to do this, but I have a few questions: -Has this been done? If so, then how? -Should I glue or should I rivet it down? -Will doing this cause a loss of money? -Will it change the intonation? Lastley-How can I cut out the exact holes for pickups and knobs? Thanks! ← i would recommend having a look at this site http://www.jamestrussart.com/models.html I hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 It is really neat how he can do it, but I was wondering for me if I should go ahead and use glue. Anyone have any reccomendations? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova9 Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 It is really neat how he can do it, but I was wondering for me if I should go ahead and use glue. Anyone have any reccomendations? Thanks! ← Ok, forgive me if I'm wrong, but you sound new to this. If you want my honest recommendation - I wouldn't wrap the guitar completely in Aluminium. I'd reckon it'd be far more trouble/difficulty than it'd ever be worth. I'd recommend (like the "Steel Top" guitar on the page above), if you're desperate for a real aluminium finish - use an Aluminium Top - a 3mm top on top of a wooden guitar could look really nice if done well - paint/stain the wood black, attach the metal top (Using mounting screws round the outside at regular intervals drilled down into the wood), and polish to a lovely shine. I think that would look great. My $0.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Yes I am new to this, but i do like your idea. Thnx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gsrguitars Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 It is really neat how he can do it, but I was wondering for me if I should go ahead and use glue. Anyone have any reccomendations? Thanks! ← Ok, forgive me if I'm wrong, but you sound new to this. If you want my honest recommendation - I wouldn't wrap the guitar completely in Aluminium. I'd reckon it'd be far more trouble/difficulty than it'd ever be worth. I'd recommend (like the "Steel Top" guitar on the page above), if you're desperate for a real aluminium finish - use an Aluminium Top - a 3mm top on top of a wooden guitar could look really nice if done well - paint/stain the wood black, attach the metal top (Using mounting screws round the outside at regular intervals drilled down into the wood), and polish to a lovely shine. I think that would look great. My $0.02 ← You want thinner than 3mm - particularly for wrapping a guitar (think more to the tune of 1/16 inch). It can be done, and you can end up with something like this: But, for a first attempt, I agree - shoot for top plating, see how it turns out. Cheers, Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 That looks awesome! What kind of aluminium should I use? I was just gonna go to the hardware store and pickup some.... Also, how can I get the holes for the pickups proportional(sp?) to the guitar, so it will fit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gsrguitars Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 That looks awesome! What kind of aluminium should I use? I was just gonna go to the hardware store and pickup some.... Also, how can I get the holes for the pickups proportional(sp?) to the guitar, so it will fit? ← Ok, back up a second... bear with me... What metal working equipment have you got available to you there? Cheers, Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 I have some power tools, never done much metal working on them though. I have like 4 drills a bench drill, a bench grider, a jigsaw, 3 power saws. I dont, unfourtunately have a router, but this stuff is relatively thin, correct? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 GSR, you know that trip to the hardware store was gonna go well. Anyhow, is that one of your skinned axes? As a large fan of diamond plate, in general, I am allured by this guitar. Is there REALLY a full wood body under there? If so, WHY? That looks like a perfect project for my shop, minus the wood interior. Some Japanese metal sculptors made a 2-layer beast out of Al or stainless but it was WAY wierd looking. I think an all-welded Al Tele would be an excellant thing to try. We have the buffing and passivating equipment to do it in stainless but I think 6061 diamond plate with a good polish would rule! Does the wood body underneath add something, even when covered with sheet Al? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 It is a real wood body as far as I can tell and know, but I have not yet skinned it down to wood yet. Why? because the previous owner decided to dip this thing into a tub of swirl paint, and skrewed it up. It is not a very nice or expensive guitar, I just got a great deal on it. Will this seriously mess up my acoustics of this? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gsrguitars Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 GSR, you know that trip to the hardware store was gonna go well. Anyhow, is that one of your skinned axes? As a large fan of diamond plate, in general, I am allured by this guitar. Is there REALLY a full wood body under there? If so, WHY? That looks like a perfect project for my shop, minus the wood interior. Some Japanese metal sculptors made a 2-layer beast out of Al or stainless but it was WAY wierd looking. I think an all-welded Al Tele would be an excellant thing to try. We have the buffing and passivating equipment to do it in stainless but I think 6061 diamond plate with a good polish would rule! Does the wood body underneath add something, even when covered with sheet Al? ← Yup, there's wood under that one. As per why... it's a retrofit scenario... take an existing guitar, plate the sucker. Now, as per all Al guitars - if any of you know where I can get one of the limited run Roswell Rhoads - all Al. - let me know. It's my "target" guitar in terms of collecting.... Revian - No offence - but it sounds like you're new to metal working in general. Am I correct? Again, no offence, just what I'm gathering. As such, you'd save time and money if you paid someone else to do it for you. Judging by the local time in your profile, you're in the USA right? If you were in the UK, I'd say come to us. But you're not - and as such I'd recommend Sharp Concepts USA - http://www.sharp-concepts.com - ran by a good bloke called Jeremiah. They'll do this in no time for you. Cheers, Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Yah, I am new to metal working, but I have a good friend who is experienced in metal working, not on guitars, but just on metal, Could I take it to him? Thanks! P.S. If I appear cheap, it is just because I have a limited budget, otherwise, I would send it to a shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gsrguitars Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Yah, I am new to metal working, but I have a good friend who is experienced in metal working, not on guitars, but just on metal, Could I take it to him? Thanks! P.S. If I appear cheap, it is just because I have a limited budget, otherwise, I would send it to a shop. ← Ok - you know guitars. Your friend knows Metal Work. Sit back, assess it, if the two of you together have sufficient knowledge and tools to do this - I say go for it. Always more rewarding to DIY. If not, save up to go the shop route. A bit vague, sorry about that, but the key is what you and your friend would be confident doing yourselves. Cheers, Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 If I were you, I would build the guitar first, get everything fitted and see if it is playable. If you are satisfied with the playability of it, then by all means go for the aluminum top. It wouldn't be a difficult mod after the fact, and it would save you some cash if it didn't work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 I would like to know what I have to use to cut this smooth, so I can buy it while at the menards or whatever. Yes, this guitar plays pretty well, so should I go for it? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revian Posted July 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Also how do you get the aluminium to conform to the bends of a guitar? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gsrguitars Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Ok - these are all metal working questions. Your metal working friend should know all of your answers... if he doesn't, I'm sorry, but it's probably back to the "save up, go to a shop". I'm no metal worker myself (but deffo a metal head...)... I could ask the people who do our metal work for us but you'd have to gimme a while till' I next talk to them. Hmm, that just reminded me, there's a local glass shop I was dealing with and I never called them back. Twas ages ago, they've probably forgot too. We wanted to nail a method for the Paul Stanley cracked mirror look. Must put that on my todo list - thanks for the unintentional reminder! Cheers, Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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